Mon | May 18, 2026

Florida prepares for more heavy rainfall after rare flash flood emergency

Published:Thursday | June 13, 2024 | 8:50 AM
Victor Corone, 66, pushes his wife Maria Diaz, 64, in a wheelchair through more than a foot of flood water on 84th street in Miami Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The annual rainy season has arrived with a wallop in much of Florida, where a disorganised disturbance of tropical weather from the Gulf of Mexico has caused street flooding and triggered tornado watches but so far has not caused major damage or injuries. (AL Diaz/Miami Herald via AP)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — A tropical disturbance has brought a rare flash flood emergency to much of southern Florida as residents prepared to weather more heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday's downpours and subsequent flooding blocked roads, floated vehicles and delayed the Florida Panthers on their way to Stanley Cup games in Canada against the Edmonton Oilers.

The disorganised storm system was pushing across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico at roughly the same time as the early June start of hurricane season, which this year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity.

The disturbance has not reached cyclone status and was given only a slight chance to form into a tropical system once it emerges into the Atlantic Ocean after crossing Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The National Weather Service in Miami noted in a post on the social media platform X early Thursday that a band of heavy rainfall was expected to fall over the region for a third day in a row.

"Even a small duration of heavy rainfall could lead to more flash flooding!" the post said.

Numerous roads remained flooded and impassable for vehicles. On major artery Interstate 95 in Broward County, southbound traffic was being diverted around a flooded section and contractors were on their way to pump the drainage system, the Florida Highway Patrol said in an email. The interstate wouldn't reopen until after water is drained, the agency said.

The Miami weather service office issued increasingly dire warnings.

"Life-threatening flooding is now ongoing," the service said on the social platform X. "Please stay off the roadways and get to higher ground."

Mayors in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood declared a state of emergency for their cities on Wednesday afternoon. Later Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency for five counties — Broward and Miami-Dade on Florida's Atlantic coast and Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties on the state's west coast.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also issued a local state of emergency.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates there is an 85 per cent chance that the Atlantic hurricane season will be above average, predicting between 17 and 25 named storms in the coming months including up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes. An average season has 14 named storms.

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